Follow the Authority

Hare Krsna! Prabhu, what do you think of this person’s understanding and interpretation of the aspects of god/goddess worships? Please comment. Your explanation would surely enlighten some of them who have this wrong misconception. I thought of replying to the person who forwarded me this but I felt that your answer would be a really illuminating and mind pondering.

Dear Khalsa Ji,
With the grace of ‘The Sat’, today I share my understanding of 3rd Pauri of 9th Ashtapadee of Sukhmani Sahib with you.

Please note that the English sentence after the Transliteration is not the exact literal translation of the text of the Tuk of Siri Guru Granth Sahib under reference, it is the meaning of the tuk as understood by me.

First the Summary: In last Pauri, Guru Sahib has referred to Vaishnava as an example. In this Pauri Guru Sahib has taken the example from another stream of religion of ancient India which follows the Goddess Durga and God Shiva. Guru Sahib here has told us how to merge with ‘The Sat’

1. BgauqI BgvMq Bgiq kw rMgu ] bhag-utee bhagvant bhagat kaa rang.
The Bhagaautee and Bhagwant are the essence of the devotee.
My understanding:
As I understand, Bhagaautee refers to Shakti i.e. Durga and Bhagwant refers to its male counterpart i.e. Siva. The union of the two is referred to as Paramsivam and considered by the followers of this religion as the ‘Almighty God’.
Guru Sahib is referring to the devotee of this religion and telling his audience that the ‘Almighty’ is the essence of such devotee; the behavior and life of the devotee as the world sees (rang or colour) are expression of the combination of Bhagaautee and Bhagwant. The being of the fulfilled devotee is nothing but expression of these two.

2. sgl iqAwgY dust kw sMgu ] sagal ti-aagai dusat kaa sang.
Such person sheds the company of evil people.
My understanding:
The person who is seeking to elevate itself to the highest level of spirituality and become one with ‘The Sat’ stops to live in the company of those who are evil. In the present context, I consider those people as evil, who hate others, think bad of others, are jealous of others, who are dishonest, greedy, selfish, ungrateful, who put hindrances in the way of those who are trying to evolve and grow or are in the grip of vices. In other words, as I understand, such a devotee lives in the company of those who have loving relationship with all the entities of the creation of ‘The Sat’. Here, as I have used it, the word love encompasses compassion, kindness, caring, and to act and serve in a selfless manner. Such devotee becomes purified. This is the colour of the devotee who has achieved the intent of its devotion as Guru Sahib has said in this Tuk.

3. mn qy ibnsY sglw Brmu ] man tay binsai saglaa bharam.
All the doubts disappear
My understanding:
As the person tries to evolve spiritually, the doubts are put to rest, with the grace of ‘The Sat’. The doubts get replaced by beliefs, beliefs’ get replaced by convictions and finally the convictions become the truth. All this time when the person was evolving, rationality helps the person to move from one stage to the other. Each time the thought becomes clearer and clearer based on rational and logic, the false ones get discarded and the person evolves further with the true ones. This is what Guru Sahib is telling us.

4. kir pUjY sgl pwrbRhmu ] kar poojai sagal paarbarahm.
He serves with love the entire creation of ‘The Sat’
My understanding:
Pooja to me is selfless act of service soaked with love. To me all that which is creation is the tangible element of ‘The Sat’. In each of its component or entity ‘The Sat’ is. Thus I understand the word ‘Sagal Paarbaraham’ covers the entire creation and thus include each of its entity – living or non-living; inform of not in form. If we waste or destroy or adversely pollute any component of the creation of ‘The Sat’ we commit sin. Guru Sahib himself has said in Gurbani ‘Pawan Guru Pani Pita ——-sagal Jatat’; Guru sahib has equated Pawan (air), Pani (water) and Dhart (Earth) with three entities which we protect by all means i.e. Guru, Father and Mother. We, in human form, are instrument of ‘The Sat’ and thus have the responsibility to protect and strive to evolve this creation of ‘The Sat’; that is the real Pooja. This is what the spiritually evolved person does.

5. swDsMig pwpw mlu KovY ] saaDhsang paapaa mal khovai.
The company of spiritually evolve people washes away the sin inducing attitudes and tendencies.
My understanding:
Guru Sahib reminds us that the mental level of the individuals with whom we live and interact influence our own frame of mind. Each one of us knows that, as a child we starded speaking the language that our caretakers were speaking – this was the influence of the company of people in which we lived. People around us create an environment, this environment has the characteristics that represent the mental level of the people around; this environment influences our brain formatting and thus our being and consequent behavior and actions. Over a period of time we to start behaving like the people around us as it affects our own being and such behavior becomes natural and normal to us. It depends what type of company we choose. In the company of thugs, we to become corrupted; in the company of spiritually evolved people, we too evolve to higher spiritual heights. In this Tuk Guru Sahib is asking us to live in the company of spiritually evolved people.

6. iqsu BgauqI kI miq aUqm hovY ] tis bhag-utee kee mat ootam hovai.
The wisdom that bagaautee (Durga) represents is supreme.
My understanding:
Guru Sahib is addressing to the section of his audience who are believers of Durga and Siva directly and indirectly to all other also. Durga and Siva are worshipped in form, they are installed in places of worship as idols and their worship includes various rituals at specific times of the days and years.
The Idol of Durga represents certain virtues and each of the entity on its person depicted in the shape give to the Idol denotes a very positive attribute. Collectively these virtues and attributes constitute the wisdom and power of Durga.

Guru Sahib is asking the devotees of Durga that this wisdom of Durga is supreme. This way he is asking them do not keep themselves just limited to the form in which Durga in Idols is represented but to transcend it and move on to the wisdom of Durga and finally transform one’s own being and make it what the wisdom of Durga represents. This way Guru Sahib is telling them to advance further on the path of spirituality, move from ‘Akaar’ (form) to ‘Nirakaar’ (formless) and come closer to the ‘The Sat’.

7. BgvMq kI thl krY inq nIiq ] bhagvant kee tahal karai nit neet.
The devotee also life around and near the Bhagwant.
My understanding:
In this Tuk too, Guru Sahib is addressing the same section of the audience as in the previous Tuk.
We all know that we cannot get to have the vision of Bhagwant i.e. Siva. Then how can we be all the time around it. This needs to be understood.
When we have moved from Akaar to Nirakaar, we remain linked mentally to the wisdom represented by this deity and thus we remain close to it and around it. In this environment our being becomes a reflection of the wisdom of this deity. Thus our thoughts, speech and actions in life – spiritual and material – all resonate with its wisdom. This is the way the devotee serves the deity and thus the devotee is deemed to be close to it.

8. mnu qnu ArpY ibsn prIiq ] man tan arpai bisan pareet.
With total surrender, from the depth of its heart and soul the devotee loves the GOD.
My understanding:
We are all trained to live in this world of form i.e. Akaar. Most of us seek the objects of sense gratification. We are attached to different entities to varying degree. It is not easy for us to perceive love in the context of an intangible entity. How it is possible to love ‘The Sat’ whom we cannot perceive and we do not know what ‘The Sat’ is. Yet Guru Sahib is asking us to love ‘The Sat’. What I understand I share with you.
To love is the composite feeling resulting from amalgamation of ‘Compassion’, ‘Kindness’, ‘Mercy’ and ‘Care’, This I perceive as Love. In our worldly life this attribute, which we call Love, gets polluted by our selfishness. In worldly living the love demands at least love in return if not material goods or objects of sense gratification.

Absence of selfishness in our living makes this attribute – ‘Love’ – divine. This is the way God ‘Loves’ us; no matter what we do, what we think, what we say or believe , ‘The Sat’ keeps sustaining life in us till the body becomes unfit and is not able to support life. In spite of our mistakes and vices, ‘The Sat’ loves us. ‘The Sat’ does not ask any thing in return for this Love.
Spiritual evolution takes us humans to a level where we shed our selfishness. When this happens our ‘Love’ becomes pure and divine. We love all that is around us; we love the entire creation of ‘The Sat’. We start Loving the way ‘The Sat’ Loves. Creator and Creation are one. In its creation, in every entity- living or non-living, in form or formless, ‘The Sat’ is. This way by loving the creation of ‘The Sat’, we in fact are loving ‘The Sat’, since ‘The Sat’ and its creation are one and one only.

This is my understanding of the above Tuk, where Guru Sahib, in his own way, has asked us to Love ‘The Sat’

9. hir ky crn ihrdY bswvY ] har kay charan hirdai basaavai.
‘The Sat’ is enshrined in the heart of the person.
My understanding:
As I understand the words ‘Lotus Feet’ is a Metaphor that conveys the Idea of ‘The Sat’. It is a humble way of referring to ‘The Sat’. It is the way of saints.
In this Tuk, Guru Sahib says that over a period of time, with dedication, discipline and devotion, the devotee’s brain gets formatted to think, and to act – verbal and physical – in a selfless Satvika way. All its actions are for the general good of all, caring for ones own health is only to continue the work for the creation of ‘The Sat’. This is what ‘The Sat’ too does. Therefore such a devotee becomes the Instrument of ‘The Sat’. As I understand it is for this reason Guru Sahib has said in this Tuk that ‘the lotus feet reside in the heart of the devotee.

10. nwnk AYsw BgauqI BgvMq kau pwvY ]3] naanak aisaa bhag-utee bhagvant ka-o paavai. ||3||
O’ Nanak, Such a Bhagaautee becomes one with ‘The Sat’
My understanding:
Guru Sahib has summarised the entire Pauri for us and said that the devotee whose has assimilated the wisdom of its perceived object of devotion and for whom the various forms of its Idols have merged into one alone can transcend the limitations of Akaar (forms) and become one with the Nirakaar (formless) i.e. ‘The Sat’.

With this I close this post
With love and respect for all.
Amarpal Singh
India

I am not well versed in contemporary Sikh thought and practices, nor do I know Punjabi language, but I am familiar with the Adi Granth, and I know that Prabhupada has acknowledged that Guru Nanak is an authority (he also acknowledged Shankaracharya as an authority) because he accepted Krishna as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and Guru Nanak himself did chant the holy names of Rama, Govinda, Krishna.

I have a copy of the Adi Granth translated by a Dr. Ernest Trump in 1877. He endeavored to give a literal translation as far as possible, though even at that time so long ago, the Sikh Granthis he approached told him that literal translation was not the way to go, and he found that they were accustomed to giving explanations according to their traditions, even though they were contradicted by portions of the text. Dr. Trump found that much of the Punjabi language in the Granth was already obsolete, but uncovered a few commentaries that enabled him to decipher the words, which were of Hindi and Persian and Arabic origin though modern usage had very much changed their meaning. Therefore it is difficult to ascertain exactly the meaning of the Granth – this is what happens to every text, to our own Vaishnava literature also, over time; therefore, we depend on hearing them from the Acharya, from the pure devotee who has himself perfectly assimilated the teachings from his spiritual master and embodies them in his own life.

I think it will be difficult for Sikhs to accept our explanation, because they have constructed their own traditions and culture based on worship of the impersonal aspect of God or Vahiguru, but for us, the words of Guru Nanak are wonderfully clear and pure when seen through the lens of Srila Prabhupada’s books and teachings.

As far as Mr. Amarpal Singh’s understanding, he admits that it is his own translation and subjective interpretation, and there are a number of faults in it, but the chief fault is that he does not refer to and accept without speculation whatever Guru Nanak has said in the verses. There is no fault in Guru Nanak’s words. Our authority, Srila Prabhupada, has pointed out that interpretation is necessary only when something is not clear. Otherwise, Guru Nanak’s statements stand on their own merit. It is impudence to attempt to improve on or otherwise construe a different meaning from what is given plainly or clearly. So it is mainly an error in not following the authority. He is imposing his own ideas on the subject – which if we compare to the Adi Granth – are not at all in line with Guru Nanak’s teaching. But Mr. Amarpal Singh is no exception in this – we do not know any Sikhs who accept the words of the Granth literally, as it is.

Let’s look at what Guru Nanak has said. I am including all of the Sukhmani Sahib IX, just to give you the overall picture. This text in the Adi Granth glorifies the Vaishnava. What is a Vaishnava? Follower of Vishnu. Vishnu is the root word of Vaishnava. Nanak here does not mention Lord Shiva and Goddess Durga. Nor other devas. He speaks of Lord Vishnu and His devotee, the Vaishnava. The topmost Vaishnava literature (Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.3.28) declares: krishnas tu bhagavan svayam: “Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead”. He is Bhagavan, the possessor of all opulences, and His follower, His devotee is bhagavata, or bhagavati. It appears that the word “Bhagauti” is a derivation of the Sanskrit bhagavata. However, Mr. Amarpal Singh has mixed it up with some other Hindu idea. While the Vaishnavas honor and respect Lord Shiva and Goddess Durga, they do not worship Them as the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

From the English translation (footnotes inside brackets are mine – mainly to show support or confirmation from the Vaishnava texts):

Sukhmani Sahib: 9th, Shloka

Who keeps the name in his breast*:
He beholds in all the Lord.
Who every moment pays reverence to the Lord:
He is untouchable** and saves all.

(Who) does not touch with his tongue falsehood;
In (whose) heart is a longing for the sight of the spotless (Supreme);
(Who) does not behold with his eyes the beauty of another’s wife;
(Who) does service to the pious and has love to the saints;
(Who) with his ears does not hear the slander of any one;
(Who) considers himself the worst of all;
(Who) by the favour of the Guru removes worldly pursuits;
From (whose) heart the desires of the heart recede;
(Who) has overcome his senses and is free from the five vices:
Among crores such an untouched one is hardly to be found.
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Sukhmani Sahib: 9th, Ashtapadee: 2nd

He is a Vaishnava, to whom he* is favourably disposed.
Who is separated from the Maya of Vishnu**;
Who is doing works and is not looking out for future rewards:
The religion of that Vaishnava is spotless.
Who entertains no desire for any reward***;
Who in worship and praise alone is absorbed;
Who in heart and body is remembering Gopal;
Who is merciful to all;
Who himself is firm and makes others mutter the name:
That Vaishnava gets final emancipation, (says) Nanak.

*[the Supreme Lord]
**[Maya is Lord Vishnu’s devotee and agent for keeping the living beings bound to the illusory material world]
***[“The supreme occupation (dharma) for all humanity is that by which men can attain to loving devotional service unto the transcendent Lord. Such devotional service must be unmotivated and uninterrupted to completely satisfy the self.” (Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.2.6)]
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Sukhmani Sahib: 9th, Ashtapadee: 3rd

He is a Bhagauti*, (whose) delight is the worship of the Supreme Being.
Who forsakes the society of all the wicked;
From (whose) mind all error** is destroyed;
Who considers and worships all as the Supreme Brahm***;
Who in the society of the pious removes the filth of (his) sins****:
The understanding of that Bhagauti becomes very high.
Who serves the Supreme Being continually;
Who offers up (his) heart and body out of love to Vishnu;
Who makes the feet***** of Hari dwell in (his) heart:
Such a Bhagauti obtains the Supreme Being, (says) Nanak.

*[bhagat or bhagavata, devotee]
**[doubt]
***[“The most advanced devotee sees within everything the soul of all souls, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Sri Krishna. Consequently, he sees systematically everything in relation to the Supreme Lord and understands that everything that exists is eternally situated within the Lord.” (Srimad-Bhagavatam 11.2.45)]
**** [“By regular attendance in classes on the Bhagavatam and by rendering of service to the pure devotee, all that is troublesome to the heart is almost completely destroyed, and loving service unto the Personality of Godhead, who is praised with transcendental songs, is established as an irrevocable fact.” (Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.2.18)]
***** [lotus feet]
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Sukhmani Sahib: 9th, Ashtapadee, 4th

He is a Pandit, who enlightens (his own) mind.
Who explores the name of Ram within himself;
Who drinks the essence and juice of the name of Ram:
By the instruction of that Pandit the world lives.
Who makes dwell the story about Hari in his heart:
That Pandit does not come again into a womb.
Who comprehends the root of the Veda, the Puranas and the Smriti*;
Who knows, that in the minute the large (objects) (are contained);
Who gives (such an) instruction to the four castes:
To that Pandit always salutation!

*[“I am seated in everyone’s heart, and from Me come remembrance, knowledge and forgetfulness. By all the Vedas am I to be known; indeed I am the compiler of Vedanta, and I am the knower of the Vedas.” (Bhagavad-gita 15.15)]
——————————————————————————–

Sukhmani Sahib: 9th, Ashtapadee, 5th

The ground-mantra* (contains) the knowledge of all.
(If) among the four castes one mutter the name,
Whoever mutters it, his salvation is brought about.
In the society of the pious some (rare) man obtains it.
If in mercy he (i.e. Hari) determine in (his) mind,
He makes beasts, goblins, fools and stones cross.
The medicine for all diseases is the name.
The celebration of the Beautiful one (and) the singing of (his) excellences
Is not obtained by any skill nor by any religious practice.
Nanak (says): he obtains it to whom it is decreed by destiny itself.

*[seed mantra]
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Sukhmani Sahib: 9th, Ashtapadee, 6th

In whose heart is the abode of the Supreme Brahm:
He is called a true slave of Ram.
The Supreme Spirit comes into his sight.
By being the slave of slaves* he obtains him.
Who always considers Hari as being near him:
That slave is accepted at the threshold (of Hari).
On his own slave all knowledge accrues.
In the society of all he is retired in his heart.
Such is the practice of the slave of Ram.

*[servant of the servant – gopibhartuh pada-kamalayor dasa-dasanudasah (Chaitanya-charitamrita Madhya 13.80) Srila Prabhupada writes in his purport to Srimad-Bhagavatam 6.11.24: “This verse gives the sum and substance of devotional life. One must first become a servant of the servant of the servant of the Lord (dasanudasa). Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu advised, and He also showed by His own example, that a living entity should always desire to be a servant of the servant of the servant of Krishna, the maintainer of the gopis (gopi-bhartuh pada-kamalayor dasa-dasanudasah [Cc. Madhya 13.80]). This means that one must accept a spiritual master who comes in the disciplic succession and is a servant of the servant of the Lord.”]
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Sukhmani Sahib: 9th, Ashtapadee, 7th

To whom the order of the Lord is dear in his heart:
He is called emancipated whilst yet living.
Joy and grief are the same to him.
He is always joyful and not separated (from the Supreme).
Gold and clay are the same to him.
Nectar and bitter poison are the same to him.
Honour and dishonour are the same to him.
The beggar and the king are the same to him.
Who entertains that practice:
That man, (says) Nanak, is emancipated whilst yet living.
——————————————————————————–

Sukhmani Sahib: 9th, Ashtapadee, 8th

All places belong to the Supreme Brahm.
As the house is, into which he puts (men), such is their name.
He himself is able to do and cause to be done (everything).
What pleases the Lord, that will also be done.
He himself being spread out becomes an endless wave.
The (manifold) appearances of the Supreme Brahm cannot be perceived.
As he gives understanding, such is the light.
The Supreme Brahm, the creator, is imperishable.
Always, always he is compassionate.
By continually remembering him Nanak has become happy.

—end of Sukhmani Sahib: 9th—-

Mr. Amarpal Singh has taken only the 3rd Ashtapadee for his meditation, and given his interpretation of it, line for line. But we can get a better understanding of it in context of the whole portions of the 9th Sukhmani. Rather than breaking it up into lines and trying to wrench the meaning out of separated words and phrases, it makes sense to try to understand them in connection with each other and with the whole.

So now let’s compare the two versions – on the left: Dr. Trump’s and on the right: Mr. Amarpal Singh’s:

Sukhmani Sahib: 9th, Ashtapadee: 3rd

1. He is a Bhagauti, (whose) delight is the worship of the Supreme Being.

2. Who forsakes the society of all the wicked;

3. From (whose) mind all error is destroyed;

4. Who considers and worships all as the Supreme Brahm;

5. Who in the society of the pious removes the filth of (his) sins:

6. The understanding of that Bhagauti becomes very high.

7. Who serves the Supreme Being continually;

8. Who offers up (his) heart and body out of love to Vishnu;

9. Who makes the feet of Hari dwell in (his) heart:

10. Such a Bhagauti obtains the Supreme Being, (says) Nanak.

1. bhag-utee bhagvant bhagat kaa rang.
The Bhagaautee and Bhagwant are the essence of the devotee.

Just looking at the translations alone, you can see there is significant difference in the 1st, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th and 10th lines. When we read through Mr. Amarpal Singh’s interpretations, there is even wider difference.

Line 1: It ought to be clear that the word “Bhagauti” is a derivation from the Sanskrit bhagavata, which here means devotee (we come across this usage often in the Bhagavat Purana), as we have seen that throughout this section Guru Nanak is describing the mind and heart and attainments of the Vaishnava, who is bhagavata, or the devotee of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krishna. It makes no sense that out of the blue suddenly he would bring up Lord Shiva and Durga and that somehow or other the devotee is the expression of the combination of Lord Shiva and Durga – this idea is totally outside Vaishnava philosophy.

Line 6: And instead of (again) interpreting “Bhagauti” as Durga, if we accept that it is meant to be bhagavata, or devotee, the meaning is unambiguous and consistent with the rest of the passage describing the attainments and attitude of the devotee – here assuring that the devotee attains very high understanding or realization as a consequence of his worship and association and surrender.

Line 7: There is a gulf of difference between the literal translation and the interpretation given by Mr. Amarpal Singh. Guru Nanak says that the devotee becomes the eternal associate of the Supreme Lord, serving Him without interruption (whether in physical presence or in separation); whereas Mr. Amarpal Singh goes off onto a very disjointed explanation how when we become removed from associating the deity with form to formless visualization of it, then our being will become a reflection of its wisdom. This is the Sikh concept of God as formless; worship of an idol or image is looked upon as misguided or a lower understanding. More significantly, Sikhs deny the personality of the Godhead. In their understanding, God is not a person.

Line 8: It may not seem like there is much difference, but in the English translation I have, Guru Nanak is saying that the devotee is offering up his heart and body to Lord Vishnu: “Here, take me, all of me, and do with me what You will”. But here, Mr. Amarpal Singh understands it to be that we are supposed to love the SATselflessly – again, the impersonal aspect of God, and although he recognizes that there is a problem to love something so vague and formless as the SAT, when we are so conditioned to loving something having form, somehow or other (he does not elaborate how) we evolve spiritually to the point where we love the SAT back in the way that the SAT loves us, and we love the creation of the SAT.

Lines 9 and 10: Guru Nanak’s words are straightforward. The devotee keeps the lotus feet of the Lord always in his heart (through meditation), and such a devotee at last obtains the Lord. This is exactly in line with Vaishnava philosophy – where there are countless instances of great devotees who by their unalloyed devotion attracted the Supreme Personality of Godhead to become their child or husband or lover or friend. But Mr. Amarpal Singh somehow or other translates “lotus feet” to the formless SAT, and finally love of SAT culminates in utterly discarding identification with form and merging with the formless SAT.

Throughout the Adi Granth, Guru Nanak glorifies the holy name of Rama, Govinda, Gopala, Hari, and glorifies the saints who adore the Lord. There is not much more substance to it than this. There are more than 5,000 instances of the names Rama, Govinda, Hari and Gopal and Narayana in the Adi Granth – mainly Hari and Rama. Here and there Nanak also refers to the Vedas, Puranas, Smritis. He mentions the 4 varnas (social orders), which are integral to daivi varnashram, or varnashram dharma. Certainly these are all features of the Vedic religion and civilization. But current Sikhs deny the Vedic roots of their religion and gloss over the names Hari and Govinda and Rama and instead refer to God as Waheguru (Vahiguru), or the indescribable, indefinable divinity.

At one time all the people of India – indeed, the entire world – was under the umbrella of Bharata Varsha, and the civilized world of that time practiced daivi varnashram, or varnashram dharma, comprised of four social orders and four stages of life. With the onset of Kali-yuga, however, the brahminical culture began to erode. Even so, up to the time of Lord Chaitanya (1486 – 1534), India largely still observed the four social orders. However, Moghul rule, especially under the tyrant Aurangzeb, severely undermined daivi varnashram – which was later finished off by the British. Guru Nanak himself was born (1469) to Hindu parents, who were apparently vaishya (farmers). After Guru Nanak, when Aurangzeb murdered Gobind Singh’s father, the Sikhs took up arms, and became a mighty military force. Since that time they have become a kshatriya race. There is no brahmin culture to speak of in their community. What they are missing is guru. They have their own lineage, or so-called parampara, but because of the absence of brahminical culture, there is no guru-disciple knowledge passing down. Everything is left to the book, everyone is speculating what it means, and the teachings have become distorted.

If everyone were to chant the names of the Lord, as their book emphasizes over and over, realization would come, but they avoid the literal instruction and the personal aspect of the Supreme Lord. We see that in the picture of Guru Nanak he is holding beads for chanting the names of God. All the nine gurus stressed the chanting of the holy names. We can confirm that the Vedic literatures exhort everyone to chant the holy names: Harer nama harer nama harer namaiva kevalam, kalau nasty kalau nasty kalau nastyeva gatir anyatha: “In this age of quarrel and hypocrisy the only means of deliverance is chanting the holy name of the Lord. There is no other way. There is no other way. There is no other way.” (Brihan-naradiya Purana 3.8.126, cited in Chaitanya-charitamrita Adi 17.21) Unfortunately, persons who embrace the idea that God is a nonperson or impersonal are not able to appreciate nor able to chant the name of Krishna.

If the Sikhs would follow the example of their Gurus, especially Guru Nanak, they would become perfectly situated. This is what Srila Prabhupada said: “We may accept Krishna, or Lord Jesus Christ, or Jehovah, or Lord Buddha, or Shankaracharya, or Guru Nanak, but in any case acceptance of authority is required.” Just like if we ask some Buddhists, “Why do you eat meat?” they reply, “Not all Buddhists are vegetarians, some of Buddha’s followers ate meat.” But what did the Buddha himself say and do? The followers are imperfect. Their knowledge is incomplete. We have to look to the teacher, not to the students or followers. Just like for us, Srila Prabhupada – in his personal example, his teachings, his instructions – is the absolute point of reference, the yardstick by which we measure everyone and everything. That religion is alive which follows the mahajanas, the acharyas.

When the students neglect or disobey or contradict the instructions of the teacher, they cannot be said to be representative of the teacher. Even in our own Brahma-Madhva-Gaudiya Sampradaya, so many apa-sampradayas have manifested. At one time Bhaktivinode Thakur counted 13 deviant groups – and that was in his time. “The order of the spiritual master is the active principle in spiritual life. Anyone who disobeys the order of the spiritual master immediately becomes useless.” (Chaitanya-charitamrita Adi 12.10). Prabhupada called the members of the self-appointed acharya’s party who claimed the rights to the Gaudiya Math properties asara because they had disobeyed the order of their spiritual master, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur. Srila Prabhupada further says, “When disciples do not stick to the principle of accepting the order of their spiritual master, immediately there are two opinions. Any opinion different from the opinion of the spiritual master is useless. One cannot infiltrate materially concocted ideas into spiritual advancement. That is deviation.” (purport, Chaitanya-charitamrita Adi 12.8-10)